Plans are underway in Kyiv to locate the grave of Hetman Petro Sahaidachny

The Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance has announced the launch of a large-scale project aimed at locating the burial site of the distinguished hetman Petro Konashevych-Sagaidachny. Archaeological excavations in Kyiv are scheduled to take place as early as this year.

Alexander Alfeorov, director of the Institute , emphasized that modern anthropological methods make it possible to identify the commander’s remains with a high degree of certainty, even if they are found among numerous other burials from the 17th and 18th centuries. To identify the remains, scientists plan to use a combination of historical data, including biographical information and the hetman’s unique anthropological characteristics.

The historical significance of the project stems from the fact that Petro Sahaidachny was a benefactor and patron of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. In 1620, the Church of the Epiphany in Podil was founded with his funds, and the hetman was buried there after his death in 1622. Later, at the end of the 17th century, a monumental cathedral in the Ukrainian Baroque style was erected on the site of the wooden church at the initiative of Hetman Ivan Mazepa.

The fate of this sacred site was tragic: in 1936, the Epiphany Cathedral—in whose crypt Sagaydachny was laid to rest—was completely destroyed by the Soviet authorities. Researchers hope that the upcoming excavations will help restore historical justice and return the hetman’s name to the historical context of the capital.